


I Love the Thought

by 2Wardens1Blight



Series: Home is Where my Friends are [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Domestic!Avengers, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Past Stony, Pining, Recovery, Rogue Avengers, not anti-cap, redeeming captain america
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 21:45:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14724152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Wardens1Blight/pseuds/2Wardens1Blight
Summary: Tony is a little overwhelmed by how many people are in his house all of a sudden.Looks like he has some things to fix... and some old friends to catch up with





	1. We're Gonna Need a Bigger Couch

**Author's Note:**

> Song is "Peach Scone" by Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers  
> This is Part 2 of my series, Home is Where my Friends are. It's not Beta-written, so I may be coming back to fix any mistakes someone points out. I appreciate your support and I hope you like what my hopelessly romantic mind comes up with! Read part one for a little more clarity.

_Hi_  
_What’s your name?_  
_How’re you?_  
_How’s your life?_  
_Oh… You got a man_  
_Are you in love?_  
_If so what type?_  
_Is it just platonic, strictly just as friends?_  
_Or the type that ties you two together ‘til tomorrow’s end?_

 

Tony sighed as he collapsed back onto his plush office chair, hand going to card fingers through already tousled hair. This feeling in his chest was a welcome one, albeit a scary one as well. He drops a glance down to that little flip phone again.

It may seem quite… anticlimactic, but he was meeting with Steve and Barnes. For dinner. To discuss their status as fugitives being lifted.

The thought makes him snort. It’s been three _years._ Three years of Tony grieving his parents all over again, grieving his love for Steve, and grieving his grief. He wanted to stay in a constant state of stormy contempt. But when one day, out of the blue, a wickedly handsome man pops out of fucking _thin air_ hanging onto a dazed and confused Bruce Banner followed by a suddenly one-eyed Abercrombie and Fitch God of Thunder, he decided he needed to get some new priorities.

\---------------------------------------------

His first reflex was the _fight_ in fight or flight, but that quickly changed when he realized that Bruce was real and breathing. In front of him. Hugging him. The portal closed behind DumbleDreamy and the little squad of home intruders.

“Bruce?” He asked, hugging the man tightly.

He knows the expression on his face was disgustingly soft in front of someone he had never met before, but his best friend was _alive_.

“Where have you been?! Bruce, we were so worried—”

“Is everything okay? God, Tony I can’t wait to see everyone again. Is Nat okay?” Bruce interrupted, relief and panic flittering across his features.

Tony sighed. “Bruce, Buddy, it’s a little complicated. Everyone is alright, I assume. In one piece—” He chances a look at Thor, who looked remarkably different from when he last saw him. The fact that he was missing a fucking _eye_ was a big one…

“Hey Point Break, nice hair-cut.”

To say that this little visit had been dizzying was an understatement.

First, Thor and Bruce needed to explain to him why Loki McMurderous was sitting there, _without chains,_ in his goddamned _lab_ that just so happened to be filled with _weapons_. Also, why was Tall, Dark  & Dragons summoning fucking portals and _how was he summoning portals_ and who _is_ he because he is vaguely threatening and did he wink at him?

Apparently, he had missed a lot.

“Tony Stark!” Thor boomed, gathering tony in a crushing hug and picking the smaller man up off the ground, “How I have missed you, dear friend! And where is your Beloved?” Tony flinched at that, hoping his very abrupt and very negative response had gone unnoticed by those surrounding him.

It had not. But they gracefully avoided the subject and Thor awkwardly coughed and continued. “Ah, a topic better saved for when we are all acquainted and informed. Where do I start? OH! Loki’s alive, look! Loki, _elskan mín,_ come!”

Tony noticed the God of Mischief looked… better. He wasn’t pale and sweating, and blue eyes had been replaced with soft emerald greens. No more alien madness, he hopes. Loki had flushed a pretty pink when Thor addressed him in a language that Tony was loathing to admit he did not understand, and gracefully yet hesitantly moved to stand by the broad God of Thunder.

Loki held his head up, not quite to the point of haughtiness, but to where he steadily met Stark’s eyes.

“Stark,” Loki started, hesitating, but straightening when Thor placed an arm loosely around his waist, and Tony had to blink. That was strange.

“I would like to offer my utmost, sincerest apologies for my transgressions against your people. I was under a torture-induced mind control, and although I am not perfect, I do not wish to fatally harm Thor or anyone positively associated with him. I hope to forego any… awkward misunderstandings.” He lifted his chin slightly, only a small flicker of anxiety crossing his features. If Tony wasn’t such an expert at hiding panic, he may not have seen it.

Tony paused for a moment, pure, overwhelming confusion enveloping his features.

“I need a drink.”

Everyone breathed out, the tension seeming to dissipate in the air around him. Loki looked as though he was forcing away a chuckle.

And, well the story goes that Thor had a sister, whom he killed. Family drama and all that. He was King of a dying race, and his people were accompanied by sentient rocks and… insect-slugs.

“Meek.” Bruce had corrected him. “Korg and Meek are their names.” Tony shrugged, having been used to this strangeness that seemed to follow his every move. He accepted Loki’s apology… reluctantly. Apparently, Thor and Loki had openly accepted the “adopted” portion of their brotherhood and stepped out of brotherhood completely. They were married. That was… unexpected to say the least. He knew he himself did not prefer any specific gender when it came to matters of the heart, but Thor he was surprised by. He had to mentally kick himself for the accidental stereotyping of someone he cared about.

And strangeness did not stop there. They had appeared through a portal while Tony was teaching Dum-E to how to make a sandwich, and he had all but forgotten that that was pretty much physically impossible. He had to remember that Loki was a magical God, but the handsome Harry Potter was not introduced.

“Okay, I may regret asking, but what’s with the wizard?” Tony turned to the taller man that was happily standing to the side, seemingly having heard these explanations already.

“Ah, my apologies, Doctor Stephen Strange.” The man reached out a gloved hand and grasped Tony’s in a light handshake. Tony totally didn’t think about the fact that he has very close to the cute wizard man and could smell his cologne. It was something spicy, with hints of old books and tea.

“Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?” Tony snorted, looking towards Thor when he heard his bellowing laugh.

“Your… friends landed on Earth to find their father, and I helped them along with that. I am the Sorcerer Supreme, the protector of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum.” Strange finished.

“Wait, Doctor Stephen Strange? I remember your name. Neurosurgeon, yeah? Retired? And you’re a wizard now.”

“Sorcerer Supreme—" Stephen was interrupted by lilting chatter coming down the stairs to his lab.

“Hey, Friday told me there was an energy surge down here and her cameras couldn’t see in your lab so she told me to check and see if you were on fire, but I told her DUM-E would’ve put you out if you were, but it’s late and you haven’t had anything to eat since this morning—”

“Pete.” Tony interjected, the young boy blanching when he saw that his father-figure was not alone.

“WHOA, DR. BANNER? I THOUGHT YOU WERE MISSING IT’S SO NICE TO MEET YOU WHERE DID YOU GO? IS THAT THOR? WHERE DID YOUR HAIR GO I’MSUCHABIGFAN—”

_“Pete!”_

_“Can I shake your hand?? You’re such an inspiration and WOW is that man’s cloak moving?—”_

“Peter. Parker. Stark.”

Peter’s mouth clamped shut and he turned to Tony, his head bowed low.

“I have guests, apparently Peter. FRIDAY, can you hear me? Disengage safety protocol and let Vision know to start dinner.” Everyone was looking at him strangely, head darting back and forth from him and Peter.

He had some explaining of his own.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been 2 months since his sandwich-making lesson in his lab became a family reunion.

And so, Tony was now planning additional construction for the Avengers compound, which had been far too empty for far too long. It was about to be bustling with an entire wing of wayward Asgardians. Bruce had admired it and his own living quarters, Hulk-appropriate and reinforced with steel and vibranium beams. Tony had been in tentative and professional contact with Wakanda, where he had a sneaking suspicion his estranged companions were predominantly camping out.

Clint had gone home and stayed home some time ago. As for Natasha, she was with the rogue Avengers God knows where. (Tony knew, but he told himself it was to ensure he was one step ahead, not for their personal safety. Well, not originally. It was now more to make sure that they were alive, but he wouldn’t admit this.) Bruce and Thor had looked absolutely destroyed at the idea of their friends being torn apart. They were supportive, but Tony could see the loneliness and wistful looks Bruce would make while they were quietly working in the large lab Tony had made in the compound.

Tony took to staying at the compound exclusively. Vision was there, and he was adjusting well. At least Tony thought he was. Either way, he seemed happy to have Bruce around. He would look at Tony and Bruce with soft looks of fondness, and Tony fought tooth and nail to make sure that people acknowledged that he was more than a machine.

Peter was also living at the compound but was still going to school. Tony had a long and serious talk with May, and she was considering moving in once all of the Avengers business had been settled. Tony took joint custody of Peter, which he was honored to have. May had offered it to him one day, after she told him that Peter called out to his “dad” in his sleep. When she asked Peter about it, he floundered and admitted to calling Tony “Dad” in his head. May had melted. He was just fifteen, and still a child. He had been through too much.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, this is how Tony had spent the last several months. The compound was completed, the United Nations were charmed, and the Rogue Avengers could now go back to being simply… Avengers. If they wished it. Tony had been doing a lot of damage control, but somehow, he had adjusted the Accords and everyone actually spoke to one another to get things straightened out. Tony got his notarized copy of the New Wave, as they were calling it. It was to support but not control “Enhanced Persons” so as to gain their trust and use their powers for good, while also noting that any hero-turned-villain would have the wrath of the “good guys” rain down upon them. In simpler terms. Getting anyone to accept Loki had been… difficult, to say the least. But let’s just say that Tony lives for a challenge.

All that was left was to inform the Rogue Avengers of their new status, as the papers were signed in a private conference and would not be announced until everyone was on board. The thought of getting Steve to sign anything made his stomach churn, but this time things were different. They were _right._

As Tony sat at his desk, fingers still resting at the crown of his head while entangled with grey-streaked hair, he felt overwhelmed and accomplished. The thought of seeing Steve again created a ghost of pain in his chest, but as soon as it came, it was gone. It’d been long enough. He had done his healing.

It was time.

He looked back at the little flip phone on his desk…

And left it there.

He grabbed his coat and called out to FRIDAY to clear his schedule for this evening and to have a plane sent to a rendezvous point outside of Wakanda.

_I love the thought of being with you._  
_Or maybe it’s the thought of not being SO ALONE._  
_The second one’s way sadder than the first one but---_  
_I don’t… know…_


	2. A Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is recovering, Steve is recovering, everyone needs to shut up and be happy again. Next chapter coming very soon after!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst! Happier things to come. I like domesticity. But these babes are a lil broken. ANGST BEFORE BAKING COOKIES AT 2AM  
> Song is Forest Fire by Brighton

_When you were young you used to_  
_dream about fires_  
_and scream into the night_  
_to find me standing barefoot at your side._  
_I used to whisper_  
_“It will be alright.”_  
_and lay down at your side_

“Thank you, T’Challa. I know you’ve started to get sick of me.” Steve smiled a wry smile as he addressed the young king, hand outstretched.

“No, my friend. We have fought together, and I am glad to say that we have grown as friends. I have news for you today.” T’Challa states, gripping Steve’s forearm in greeting. His strength was a welcome surprise every time Steve was in his company. There was a brotherhood in their mutual enhanced abilities that Steve was not used to. “I am actually very pleased that you have come to greet me alone today. Your soldier has shown great strides in recovery.”

Steve dared to look hopeful as his grinning lips turned to a more subdued shape. “Is he awake today?”

T’Challa gave a big, toothy smile. He was a very charming man. “We thought it best for him to see you first, this morning. Come, I shall have Shuri explain.” He gestured vaguely towards himself, leading Steve in the direction of the lab that housed his best friend.

Steve knew the way without him guiding. T’Challa knew this as well. They spoke nothing of it.

Steve couldn’t help the shiver that went through him as he walked into the room where the chryo-tube sat. He had never been artificially frozen, but 70 years on ice gives one a chill every now and then when a reminder is spotted.

He ignored how his heart jumped at the sight of the man in the tube, all disheveled hair and scruffy beard. All Bucky. He almost didn’t notice the very excited, very small (in comparison) princess rushing over and offering her fist. Steve grinned, genuine, and pressed his fist against hers.

Shuri had been very excited to work on the “broken white boy.” Steve had snorted at that, not thinking about the fact that many of his fellow Avengers were broken white boys, in some shape or form.

A familiar hollow feeling filled his gut when he thought of the Avengers. Another feeling he felt inclined to ignore in that moment. That pain reminded him that his friends were still that, to him. Friends.

“Steve-o! How are you my man? Don’t answer yet, because you’re about to be great. Because I’m a genius.” Shuri glided into conversations, immediately taking charge and brightening the room. Steve really liked her. He remembers a young girl, poor and spunky that followed in the shadow of her older brother in Brooklyn. She was shy, but that was only on the surface. That girl was pure fire.

He knew how Bucky missed his kid sister. He probably had a soft spot for Shuri, too.

“What have you got for me, your highness?” Shuri snorted.

“It’s not for you, old man. But I gather it could be. It’s for your friend here, and it’s already done.” Shuri started, pulling up holographic screens and swiping away at different brain scans.

“I’ve removed the trigger words from Barnes’s mind. Along with therapy, and some minor hypnosis—I promise it was only to reinforce positive memories—we have gotten him to remember great chunks of his past and come to terms with the parts that were… less than savory.” She stepped over to the pod, typing in access codes and functions.

“He went back under for us to run tests on him and better understand his serum-- per his request—and we didn’t want to trigger any PTSD episodes. This way he could be cleared without feeling like a lab rat. He deserves at least that much courtesy.” She smiled, a sad look on her face. She had begun to care greatly for the White Wolf, as the children called him. He was a good man.

Steve grinned, an ecstatic expression that broke through the worry lines and dark circles. “So, he’s as ready as he’ll ever be, eh? Took him long enough.” He joked, turning his head away as his eyes began to blur. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Steve had visited many times during Bucky’s recovery, but he had tried to stay away from the process as much as he could. He would sit and record messages for Bucky to listen to when he would wake up for therapy, telling him jokes and stories from their childhood. He would tell them how everyone was doing while in hiding, and Sam always told him to remind Bucky that he owed him for all these crappy motel nights.

Shuri told him that Bucky would immediately ask if Steve had been in to see him, stepping out of the pod. Steve smiled at that. Bucky always fretted over Steve. In childhood, in war, and now? Beyond death. He was mother-henning Steve even now.

Bucky was now staying in a little cabin outside of the city, charming the locals and finally getting some peace and quiet. He still had nightmares, but he was okay with talking about them now. He knew that he was cared about and listened to.

Steve had begun visiting him more often, and he was planning on staying in Wakanda for a couple of weeks. It had been a long time since the Civil War, and the Rogue Avengers often found themselves in the hyper-advanced country of Wakanda.

That’s when Bucky told him about his nightmares of killing Howard and his wife.

Steve went still and pale. “Bucky, you don’t have to—”

“He was our friend once, Steve. Howard used to be a good man. And I killed him. That is not something you can just brush away. His wife was so scared…” Bucky looked up from where they were sitting, outside under the dimming sunlight in a Wakandan summer. His face looked defeated.

“I want you to accept that I did horrible things. I may not have been in control, but I did it. I was the last thing he saw—”

“Bucky.”

Bucky stopped, but didn’t look back up from where his head had cast downward. He tilted it slightly in Steve’s direction, looking at Steve’s feet.

“I… know. And _you_ know that I do _not_ blame you. When I found out, it felt like a knife to the gut. But I knew it wasn’t you.” Steve pursed his lips, his hands steepled between his ankle-crossed legs.

“I was the one who made the mistake of trying to keep it from Tony. He would’ve eventually accepted you. He would understand, he’s been through hell too. He’s a good man, and this was a bomb drop.” He pressed his knuckles into his eyes, rubbing fiercely. “I don’t need to ignore what happened. But I can separate it from how I think of you. I just wish I could fix this.”

“He means something more to you.” It wasn’t a question. Bucky finally looked upward, still not quite meeting Steve’s eyes.

“He meant a lot, Buck. I won’t lie to you.” Steve said, eyes staring straight into the other man’s. They had never spoke about Steve’s previous relationship with Howard Stark’s son. But it was no secret that they had been together.

“Why, then?”

Steve knew that he wasn’t asking about why he had moved on. He was asking why Steve left. Why he chose Bucky.

“I loved him. Or I thought I did.” Bucky closed his eyes but continued to listen.  
“You were gone, and I was in the same world that was far too different. I fell for him. I thought I had lost you long before I drove that plane into the ice. But then I woke up, and you were a distant memory. Photographed in WWII pictures in a museum.” Steve sighed. Bucky remembered seeing those pictures. The commandos all had huge smiles, with Steve standing in front with Bucky at his side. Bucky had always been staring at his lover in those photos.

But it was a secret back then, his feelings. The 40’s were a different time.

“But then you weren’t. you were there, flesh and blood. Mostly.” Bucky snorted, opening his eyes. He had become used to living with one arm, now. Tony deserved to destroy far more than the metal arm.

“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, Bucky. And I couldn’t let you go. Not again.” Steve pressed his finger under Bucky’s chin, pushing it up to meet his eyes.

“I couldn’t stay with someone who deserved more than a man in love with someone else.” He didn’t push forward, but rather sat very still and tried to push the words into Bucky’s head. Bucky looked back and forth, switching from one of Steve’s eyes to the other. He looked like he was reading.

After a moment, Steve dropped his hand. “I did horrible things. And I wasn’t brainwashed.” It was his turn to look at the ground, now. Bucky’s eyes were too intense, too emotional. He felt raw when he looked at him like that.

“I couldn’t save you. You fell. You were tortured and used because I couldn’t hold on. I betrayed and attacked a man that trusted me and cared for me. I turned my back on a world that needed me. And I haven’t spoken about this because I don’t think I’m ready to move on. I don’t think I deserve it, after all I’ve done. I don’t deserve you, Buck. I loved another man and you were in constant pain and suffering.” Steve stopped, voice catching like fabric on a nail.

“We’re both pretty fucked up, Rogers.” Steve snorted this time, a small smile on his lips.

“I don’t think I’m ready yet, either. But you don’t get to decide what you deserve. And I can’t decide what I deserve, either. We’ll just have to figure this out together.” Bucky smiled, reaching a hand to grasp Steve’s broad shoulder. A small tear dropped from his eye and landed on the dusty ground in front of the steps.

“Don’t cry, jerk.”

“Shut it, punk.”

They had settled into a comfortable silence, feeling hope for a little more positivity in their future.

And then Steve’s phone rang.

 

_How_  
_was I to know…_  
_I’m not strong?_  
_I should’ve saved you and_  
_Oh_  
_I hope you know_  
_That you’re my home_


	3. Get Over It!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for shit to stop being so strained between the Avengers. Tony wants them all to just come home, make some popcorn and have a movie night.
> 
> Or maybe that's just me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HOPE I'M NOT RUSHING THE PLOT  
> But i want fluff, dammit.  
> Song is Let it Go by James Bay

_Tryna fit your hand inside mine  
__When we know it just don't belong  
There's no force on earth Could make it feel right, no  
__Tryna push this problem up the hill_  
_When it's just too heavy to hold_  
_Think now is the time to let it slide_

 

Tony chose to forego the suit to meet with Steve and Bucky. The last time he was in his suit around the WWII duo they tried to kill him. Not that he thought they would try again.

Everyone has grown a little in these years that they’ve been apart.

 

He had gotten FRIDAY to secure rendezvous and prep a debriefing with the Rogue Avengers if everything went smoothly. He imagines Vision is buzzing with excitement at being in the same room as Wanda without it being a secret. Albeit it was always a poorly kept secret, but a secret nonetheless.

 

Tony scoffed at himself. Nothing about this was smooth.

 

But he was willing to try.

 

Tony had known for a long time that Steve had had a more loving relationship with Barnes than they had let on to the world. When they were dancing around each other, Steve had come out to Tony with a story about how he fell for his best friend in Brooklyn. It was very personal and been said to him in confidence. But that was while Bucky was still only a memory to Steve.

 

He would never betray the trust that Cap had shown him. It had been months since the Avengers compound had become a bustling superhero central again, and far bigger than before. The place was bursting at the seams with Asgardians, new heroes and old. It had been years since his fucking _awful_ breakup.

But if he is anything, it’s self-sacrificing. And he can sacrifice his desire for being completely and utterly petty if it is for the greater good.

 

And honestly? It’d be better for him too. Rhodey and Pepper never let him live down the few gray hairs that had grown in his dark locks, showing his age and stress level.

 

“Tones… is that gray in your hair?! Have you turned away from the dye bottle, my friend?” Rhodey had clipped him on the shoulder, he remembers.

 

“I don’t _dye my hair,_ Rhodey.”

“That’s not what Pepper told me. She sees your receipts.”

“Fuck off. Gray is sexy.” Rhodey snorted at that.

 

“Pepper told me you’d probably think that too, with how you follow Stephen Strange around like a lovesick puppy. His gray streaks are impeccable.” He grinned as he walked away, laughing out loud at Tony sputtering with a red face, making excuses about how Tony Stark is _not_ love sick for _anyone._

His friend was in high spirits every day and had been a huge influence on him to get the Accords amended. He hated Ross as much as anyone else did. And he was walking.

 

Tony smiled at the thought while he climbed into the jet. It was time to clear the air.

 

_______________________________________

 

Bucky was so confused.

 

Tony Stark hated him. He despised his very existence. Right?

 

So why was Tony Stark smiling at him, holding his hand out for a shake?

 

What?

 

It had all started when Steve had gotten a phone call. He looked like a man shot, staring down at the little vibrating thing. Bucky knew it to be the burner phone that only one person had the number to. First, he thought that someone must have died. Or there was a giant alien trying to kill everyone. Or Tony died, and someone found this phone.

But then Steve answered, and Bucky could pick up Tony’s cool, calm and collected voice over the receiver.

 

“Capsicle! How are ya? Don’t hang up. No one’s dying and it’s not a booty call.” Tony said, acting as if nothing was amiss _at all in this seriously strange situation._ It’s not as if there was no contact between these groups of people for actual _years_ or anything.

“Tony? What, what is going on? I’m confused.” Steve blushed, knowing that Tony deflects everything with humor, but feeling abashed either way.

 

“I’ve got some news. Good news. Trust me. You owe me that much. T’Challa will explain everything.” Click.

 

“He… He just hung up on me.” Steve had said, looking at Bucky with an unreadable expression on his face.

 

Everything had been a whirlwind after that. Bucky was asked to come along, which he immediately felt was a red flag because why would Tony want him involved in anything? At all? Unless it was his execution?

 

The second red flag was that they were asked to meet right outside of Wakanda. Was he seriously trapping them there to kill them? He couldn’t possibly be so bold. Arrest them? Tony wouldn’t stoop so low.

 

None of his predictions or suspicions involved Tony greeting him with what seemed to be a genuinely soft expression on his face, grasping his flesh hand in a solid shake. Bucky blinks, remembering that he was quite strong for a non-enhanced person under all that armor. He’s sure he looks like a complete idiot, but he couldn’t hide the shock on his face. There was no contempt there.

 

“Barnes. I’ve been briefed on your recovery extensively. You’ve been up and about for a while now, yeah?” Tony asks, making eye contact with the murderer of his parents.

 

“I… Yeah. I’m a slightly more stable man in his 100’s.” Bucky quipped, hoping he could match Stark’s nonchalant air. He probably failed miserably.

 

“That’s good to hear.” Tony turned and looked at Steve now.

 

“Rogers. You grew a beard.” Steve only gaped at him in response, no attempt at any witty comeback. Normally Steve was a pro under distress, but this was something else. This was some sort of dream. Nightmare? Fiction?

 

“I apologize, I understand that this is very confusing for the two of you. There is a reason I called you two here, and you two specifically. To be honest, I’m quite finished with this. Whatever this is.” He gestured in a triangle between the three of them with a wave of his hand, expensive watch glinting in the sunlight.

 

“I have news for you. But you need to sit.”

 

And this was how his day was going. What did Bucky do in his life to deserve so much good karma? What is even happening right now?

 

Bucky and Steve as well as the other Rogue Avengers had been pardoned. A new draft of the Accords had been approved. Steve had tensed at this, paranoia seeping back into his frame. Tony had assured them, however, that they could continue to seek asylum in Wakanda if they refused to sign. The King was a man who stood by his word, and they were always welcome in his country. And if they chose this, they would remain pardoned from being dubbed war criminals. T’Challa’s father had been supportive of the Accords, and he himself was supportive of filling in the gaps and fixing what fissures the original draft created.

 

But if they read the new draft and chose to sign, they would be re-enlisted into the ranks of the Avengers. They would be granted stay at the Avengers compound with all the new recruits. Cap would not be the leader, but he would be trusted within their team again.

 

What shocked Bucky the most was that Tony was not wholly professional in their meeting. He spoke to Bucky stating that he was the one to push for their pardoning. He forgave Bucky for his transgressions and promised that he only read his psyche files to ensure that he was truly not the one to decide the deaths of his parents. And to see if he was a fit for the Avengers team.

 

“I’m not one for second chances, usually. But I understand that this conflict, us being basically enemies, has to stop. All of our main concerns for this world are the safety of innocent people. We’ve all fucked up. And we all need to be adults about this and accept that life is complicated. We need to grow and come back together as a team, with the right sanctions to ensure not only the safety of ourselves but others as well.” Tony looked at Steve and continued.

 

“I’ve spoken with Wanda. She will not be a prisoner, and I never intended her to be one. She’ll get the help she needs to improve and control her powers, and she will go through therapy to ensure that she properly copes with the things that have happened.” His tone was soft, and all the tension seemed to seep out of Steve’s shoulders. Steve looked to Bucky, and he nodded to him.

 

“Well, let’s read it.”

 

_____________________________________________

 

Wanda was imagining this. Surely, she was imagining this?

 

Vision stepped out of the Stark plane and smiled a huge, warm smile at her before walking forward with open arms. In front of everyone.

 

“Wanda.” He pulled her into a brief hug and a chaste kiss was placed on her forehead. “You are free.”

 

“Vision? What is this? I don’t understand.” Wanda pulled away, but not completely. She wanted to look into his eyes.

 

“We have much to discuss.” Vision turned towards the others that had been gathered, all of the Rogue Avengers apart from Steve and Bucky.

“Mr. Stark has good news for all of you and hopes that after all these years you would all like to come home.”

 

There was much to explain.

_Tryna push this problem up the hill_   
_When it's just too heavy to hold_   
_Think now is the time to let it slide_

_So come on, let it go_   
_Just let it be_   
_Why don't you be you_   
_And I'll be me_


	4. Have I Gotten Over It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is trying his best. He's grown as a person, but sometimes it's hard to forget what you've forgiven.  
> His loved ones try their best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long tbh so I'm gonna be trying to do a chapter dump. My writing style may be different, since it's been so long that I've gone without posting.

_It feels like there’s oceans_

_Between me and you once again_

_We hide our emotions under the surface_

_And try to pretend_

_Weeks Later_

Tony sighed as he lay flat on the workshop floor, waiting for the inevitable prodding from his girl FRIDAY to join the rest of the team on the communal floor.  
“Boss.”  
“Mnnh.”  
“This is not exactly what I intended when I suggested that you need rest. The team has invited you, yet again, to join them for dinner. Need I remind you that you have not reached your required calorie intake for the day?”

“Yes Darling. I understand that I need to eat,” he slapped a tired, oil stained hand on his face with no small amount of drama, “but I don’t have to fake a smile down here.”  
“I understand boss,” FRIDAY’s voice modulators chirped sympathetically back to him. “Stephen will be attending the team dinner today. I informed you of his message earlier, but you were focusing on Sergeant Barnes’ arm modifications.”

The small wince that fluttered across his face had little to do with the warm pulse in his chest at the mention of Stephen Strange.

Barnes.

No matter how Tony tried, he couldn’t help but see his mother’s face when he made eye contact with the tortured veteran. He understood, rationally, that James Barnes didn’t strangle his mother. The Winter Soldier did that.

Rationally. The irrational, stuck-in-mourning part of his mind hated him. Hated Barnes, hated his face, his arm, his past. Hated Steve, for ruining what they had for a cold-blooded murderer. The irrational part of his mind wanted to believe that Bucky wasn’t in there anymore. That Steve was mistaken.

The irritating burn in his nose and water in his eyes reminded himself that he was not, to his core, irrational. Or he liked to hope so.

He didn’t truly believe that Barnes was at fault. He blamed Hydra, truly, and understood on an all too personal level how torture can affect the mind. He couldn’t begin to understand the level that was endured to create the Soldier, but he had a concept. He had worked tirelessly to improve his prosthetic to keep the man comfortable, and possibly to also study the work of the Wakandan princess.

And hating Steve? He wished he could. He wanted to fucking hate him. He wanted so badly to have never wanted to pardon any of them, shun the Rogues from the rest of the world, let Steve stew in his mistakes.  
He didn’t miss the broken looks all of them gave when Tony walked into a room. Natasha, once a snarky, loving presence, acted as though she was pulling her punches. Clint looked ashamed, Bucky turned to stone, and Steve…

Steve looked wrecked.

He snorted a little at himself, shaking off any thoughts that Steve might still have fond memories of Tony in his heart. He may feel guilty, but he believed he was making the right choice to stay with Bucky. Of course, Tony wanted to help Bucky; he wanted to help everyone. But Steve wanted Bucky over Tony. Romantically.

Tony wasn’t stupid.

He forgave them. But he mourned the loss of what they had, and the possibility that they may not be able to forge something similar, or stronger. It had been years. It’s over, and they needed to try.  
He was damned if he didn’t try.

“Alright Fry. I’m going. I’ve had my self-pity fest long enough.” He grunted a little too much as he rose from the floor, cracking his tired back in the process. He didn’t let the other Avengers know that he struggled so much. Paste on a smile, walk on.

He pardoned them out of his own selfish wishes. He missed them.  
But they deserved a chance to fix what they did, and they needed to have been told what damage they caused.

A small voice in his mind said that they need to see what they’ve done to _him_ , but Tony isn’t good at showing pain. Humor. Charm. Reckless responsibility.

That’s Tony.

He didn’t bother washing up, save for his hands. He didn’t intend to ingest motor oil, no matter how many times DUM-E put it in his coffee.  
A small smile graced his lips as he reminded himself that Stephen was going to be in the compound.

Time to face the music.

_It feels like there’s oceans_

_Between you and me_

_Once again_

_\----------------------_

Peter wasn’t stupid.

He understood that Mr. Stark had gone through so much over the time that he and Captain Rogers were on different sides. He had learned about their past relationship, and he admitted that he had guessed it.

He didn’t miss the small cracks in Tony’s façade. The twitches in a smile that make it turn sad, the lapse in conversations that make him clear the room.

The Rogues had been living on the compound for a couple of weeks now, and they seemed to be trying.

They’re trying to fit back in, trying to be a team. Trying to play family. It seems like none of them have had the guts to try to talk to Tony about things at length, but they didn’t miss the cracks in his mask. They were stopped by his calm demeanor, assurances that nothing was the matter. They didn’t prod.

Peter thinks they don’t because they don’t feel like they deserve to make Tony feel better. Natasha has started to show signs of wanting to be the first to crack and tell Tony that he’s full of it.  
He agrees. It should be okay to be upset.

He sighs as he swings through the air, coming up on the compound with a leisurely pace. At least he was a little more open when he and Dr. Strange were around. He opened up with them.

He wasn’t going to let that chance go. Tony says everything is perfectly fine, so they’re going to make sure that becomes the truth.

He drops down closest to the Asgardian wing of the giant compound grounds and scans the area for Stephen Strange. He sometimes explored the gardens with Loki, discussing the magics of their domains. He wanders for a moment before running into Loki, smiling and giving the God an excited wave.

“Loki!”

A small smile twitched at the corners of Loki’s mouth.

“Hello Spiderling. I had assumed you would be with Tony by now, the team is meeting shortly for a group night.”

Peter scratched the back of his neck and pulled his mask off. “Yeah, I was hoping to find Mr. Dr. Strange.”

Loki snorted. “Stephen has not come to the gardens today. I assume he has a meeting with his sorcerers. I would think you should go speak with your father before team night, as I know how he can be with avoiding the Rogues.”

His face burned as he suddenly regretted putting on the mask. Tony had officially signed papers to be Peter’s guardian when he was 16, and Peter was almost 18 now. Hearing “father” from someone else made him feel like a little kid who was given 1st place at the science fair. It didn’t happen often.

“Y-Yeah, thanks Mr. Loki! I’ll head there now!” He slipped his mask back on, if only to keep from dropping it, and swung into the air. He missed the chuckle and “Just Loki.”

Peter swung across the compound and landed near the labs, dropping off the roof and nearly startling Dr. Banner.

“Oh Pete! Have you seen Stephen? I just finished looking over some papers Tony had drawn up for his hand spasms. We could start therapy soon.” Bruce smiled, his aura of calm seeping into Peter as he marveled at the man’s collected nature. He would’ve dropped everything and squealed if someone had done that to him.

“No, I just checked the gardens and I couldn’t find him. I was just going to find Da-Tony. I was going to find Tony. For team night.”

The little smiles that people kept giving Peter confused him, but he let it go.

“Ah that’s okay. Stephen wouldn’t let me worry over his hands anyways. He only lets Tony close enough.”

“That’s not true! He lets me help him with things sometimes. He’s super likely to let you take a look if you ask.”

“Ha! About as likely as the Hulk dancing the macarena. I’ll just let Tony know that I made notes. Actually, can you drop these by for me since you’re headed his way? I was going to… meet with Natasha and help with dinner for team night.” A pink hue dusted the older scientist’s cheeks, but otherwise his face remained calm and unchanged.

“I got you Dr. Banner. Let me take those for you.” Peter caught the hint, glad to see that someone might be reconciling in the middle of all of this “team again” stuff.

He grabbed the papers that were held out to him and shot a web on a light pole before swinging the corner.

“Just Bruce Peter!”

 

 


End file.
